Hand In Hand
by Honeypuff Moonmoon
Summary: Yzak Joule, the Commander of the warship the Voltaire, thinks about the funny way his comrades seemed to find their happily-ever-afters, defecting from ZAFT and doing it for Natural girls... then he bumps into Shiho


Hand In Hand

Hand In Hand

A/N: Hey everyone, this is my first Gundam SEED fanfic as well as my first attempt at an oneshot, so please, criticism and tips to improve are welcome! I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam SEED or Gundam SEED Destiny

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_Stupidity and love go hand in hand, _Commander Yzak Joule suddenly realized as he pulled a hand through his silky silver hair.

That annoying Athrun Zala and his Natural girlfriend, the Head Representative of ORB, Cagalli Yula Athha. The opinionated blunt woman could wrap the ZAFT Redcoat around her little finger with ease and though they weren't with each other at the moment Yzak had the suspicion that they would somehow get together again sometime in the very near future.

Then of course there was Dearka, Dearka "Idiot" Elsman, even though Yzak could refer to Dearka as a… friend he also thought of him as an absolute idiot, he had defected from ZAFT for a damn Natural woman too!

Every time she broke it off and every time he crawled back to the military with his tail between his legs for a little pat on the back and a few comforting words, and then once again he ran back to Earth for the indecisive Natural.

Yzak shook his head.

He honestly didn't know what it was about those Natural women that made two annoying idiots, for Yzak had not fallen head over heels in love like they did and thus he had the right to call them both annoying pathetic weak-willed turncoat idiots and whatever else came to mind at that time, act even more idiotic than they usually did.

With a look of contempt on his face, Yzak made his way out of his chamber aboard the Voltaire and began his walk through the numerous hallways and corridors to the mess hall.

His stomach rumbled loudly, even an exceptional Coordinator like himself who remained unaffected by the deadly power of seduction that belonged to Natural women, had to eat sometimes. Yzak had spent the last twenty-four hours holed up in his office doing paperwork… a lot of paperwork, he felt extra grouchy and his muscles were sore from sitting in the same position from dawn until dusk.

It wouldn't be too long before they would arrive at Aprilius One's ZAFT Headquarters and be allowed to disembark. Yzak grimaced, he would have to go visit his dear mother again and having tea and cookies with the lady Ezalia Joule was not how anyone would want to spend their leave.

Yzak wandered to the mess hall, his head in the clouds and he stared at the ceiling absent-mindedly with a smug expression as his thoughts returned to the "loving a Natural" topic.

Suddenly something crashed into him hard and the distinct sound of something hitting something else and breaking filled his ears.

"Oof!" he was sent floating backwards by the sudden impact but he quickly grabbed onto the white metal railing, which went around the entire ship, he steadied himself. For a moment his eyes darted wildly as he searched for the culprit responsible for the disaster.

"You _imbecile!_" Yzak shouted at the top of his lungs, he glared at the still unidentified soldier.

"You clumsy buffoon! You brutish oaf! You idiotic ape! I have very good reason to report you! Causing damage to the ship and its belongings and not paying attention to where you are going! I refuse to tolerate this a moment longer!" he shouted.

"And I swear you will replace that cup and the entire tray of food that you have just wasted! That won't be the end of it either! You will…" Yzak's voice trailed off when he saw who it was in front of him standing as straight as a ruler, her one hand holding onto the plastic tray while the other she held to her head in a salute and her eyes downcast.

None other than Major Shiho Hahnenfuss.

Her red uniform signifying that she was an elite ZAFT soldier had big brown coffee stains all over it and the food that had been on the tray she was clutching to her tightly was floating about her head.

Shiho glanced up at the seething Commander when he stopped shouting with a mixed look of both horror and confusion on her face.

Yzak suddenly noticed the coffee stains on his own white uniform and he crossed his arms over the mess, self-conscious all of the sudden. Looking at her uncomfortably he cleared his throat.

"I apologize Commander Joule," Shiho said in her usual quiet calm tone of voice, "I'll replace the cup and your food as soon as we arrive at Aprilius One, sir," she continued.

Yzak frowned, "My food?" he asked curious.

"Yes sir, I thought you were too busy with all the paperwork and had had nothing to eat sir, so I took the liberty of bringing it to you, sir," Shiho explained.

"Well, er… thank you, Major," Yzak said awkwardly.

Odd… he had never noticed quite how pretty the Major really was; her long glossy hair, her gentle amethyst gaze, her lean frame. A blush went to Yzak's cheeks and he scowled. He nodded a goodbye to her and turned on his heel to get away.

"Uhm, Commander sir?" called her voice.

Yzak stopped and turned back to look at her.

"I was wondering if we could perhaps discuss the current CIC and test team pilots' situation over a meal or something when we arrive at Aprilius One if you have the time, sir?" Shiho asked a small smile on her face.

Yzak's mind reeled, he stared at her fixedly alarm bells were going off in his head; he opened his mouth to say something and then closed it again. Three times he repeated the action and then he saw Shiho tilt her head to the side and frown.

He stuttered something incoherent and Shiho narrowed her eyes trying to make out what he had said.

"Beg your pardon, sir?" she asked.

Yzak bit his lip, "I-I CAN'T!" he yelled like a mentally ill person, surprising both himself and the woman who was leaning forward to hear what he had wanted to say. He wanted to kick himself or smash a chair and then beat hit himself over the head with one of the legs.

"Sorry, I mean I can't, I have to… uh," he said searching for something to use as a good excuse, "I have to wash my shirt!" Yzak announced proudly slapping his hand onto his sticky coat.

Shiho smiled slightly her head still tilted to one side, "Very well then, sir. Perhaps another time Commander Joule," she said excusing herself with a nod, she began to pluck the floating food and broken pieces of the little cup out of the air.

Without even offering to assist her Yzak almost ran back to his chambers, just trying to get the hell away from her as quickly as he could.

He stood leaning with his back against the door, his chest rising and falling rapidly and his heart pounding loudly in his throat.

Did Shiho Hahnenfuss just ask him out? Yzak looked about him wildly, _no, she said there was work involved…_he thought, _but she also mentioned meeting up and having a meal, doesn't that mean a date? _

Yzak scowled and shook his head, _no matter, _he had no time for women and besides he had shaken her off. He made his way back to his desk when his panting subsided. He pushed the Major to the back of his mind and without anything else to do he pulled out an old Mobile Suit layout handbook from one of his drawers.

He started at page one and just reading and studying happily for quite some time. Yzak turned the page.

Page fifty-seven… the CGUE DEEP Arms, _Housenka used to pilot one, _he thought absent-mindedly.

_DAMN IT! _Just like that she was back in his thoughts

Yzak gritted his teeth and smashed the old handbook shut, he threw it across the room and felt oddly annoyed when it slowed down and floated about aimlessly in the middle of the room instead of hitting the wall opposite his desk and plummeting to the floor.

With a final glare sent it's way, Yzak turned away from it and began drumming his fingers on the desk.

His earlier smug expression didn't return when he thought about how all of his comrades had somehow found somebody.

Athrun and Cagalli

Dearka and Miriallia

Him and… Shiho?

Yzak hit his head with the inside of his hand, "Stop thinking about it!" he yelled, but of course that only had him thinking more of her.

She really wasn't ugly, on the contrary she was really pretty, beautiful even. _Stop it!_ Lacus Clyne came second to her and on top of that she was smart too! _Stop it!_ Very smart, hell, graduating the only ZAFT elite in her class made her very, very smart!

Yzak gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, _stupid! Stupid! Stupid! _Yzak scolded himself mentally, _she's your subordinate anyway, you should call her in and tell her the importance of a _strictly professional _relationship, _he thought, _for good measure and just to make sure you're understood you should tell her you're adding this incident to your report! _

He rubbed his hands together, a glint in his cobalt blue eyes and an odd almost scary smile on his face. Yzak pressed his intercom button and cleared his throat.

"Major Hahnenfuss! Report to my office!" he paused thinking whether it was right to talk that way to her, she was a lady… he sat still for a moment deep in thought, "NOW!" Yzak shouted and let go of the button, he sat back in his plush chair.

Suddenly he remembered something that annoyed him a few days or so ago and he pressed the button again.

"And whoever thought it was cute to spray paint a purple circle on the cafeteria floor in the corner better be ready for some deep shit!" he yelled and sat back in the chair again.

Minutes passed and he impatiently began to drum his fingers on his desk again, _why is she taking so long? _Yzak thought with a scowl. He gave a low growl and crossed his arms suddenly reminded of the sickly brown coffee stains all over his crisp white uniform, it only angered him further. _She better hurry up or else there won't be enough time to make myself understood! _

Yzak ground his teeth together in impatience and annoyance at Shiho's tardiness; he slammed his fist down on his desk and jammed the intercom button in. He leaned forward.

"MAJOR HAHNENFUSS! IF YOU AREN'T IN MY OFFICE WITHIN THE NEXT TEN SECONDS I WILL-" Yzak began to scream into the intercom only to be interrupted by his office doors sliding open. He turned towards them opening his mouth to yell at the intruder about manners and whether or not gorillas had raised him.

Yzak pulled an annoyed face, there stood the Major Hahnenfuss, her eyes dowcast but Yzak could see they were as wide as saucers, her one hand was put to her head in a stiff salute and in her other she held on tightly to a huge stack of papers, it was a picture not much different from their earlier meeting near the mess-hall.

"At ease Major," Yzak said impatiently and Shiho relaxed, her arm falling to her side and the papers falling out of her hand. Yzak rolled his eyes, _she's like a walking catastrophe just waiting to take place! _Yzak thought.

Shiho pulled a face at the sight of the sheets of paper flying everywhere and apologizing she began to pick them up and sort them out. Yzak gingerly stepped forward and helped her, he gazed at one of them his eyes swiftly flying over the letters.

_What? _Yzak thought surprised, he looked at the woman sorting through the huge bunch of papers, _she's doing Dearka's share all by herself while he's harassing that Natural down on earth. _

_She works her ass off, _Yzak thought glancing at each paper he picked up, he suddenly felt quite bad that he had wanted to shout at her when she was probably the most hardworking soldier on the Voltaire, and he hated feeling like that, that guilty, bad feeling.

When all the papers had finally been picked up and sorted out Yzak fell down into his chair. Shiho approached the desk.

"What did you want to see me about, sir?" she asked tucking a strand of hair back behind her ears.

"Major, I have reconsidered your earlier proposition and well, I think that as soon we arrive at Aprilius One we should have that meal," said Yzak.

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So yeah, please tell me what you think! I really hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it!

The Goose :-D


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